G. Landsbergis
2019.11.20

“In the wake of everything crazy – there has to appear a sober conservative voice”

"In the wake of everything crazy - there has to appear a sober conservative voice"

Speech by Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS, Chairman of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats delivered at the Plenary session of the EPP Congress in Zagreb, 20th November 2019

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear colleagues and friends,

Thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts on the current affairs. And thanks to Mr. Macron for giving a topic.

Western world is currently in a what is called a superposition. One state is clearly screaming that the change from current affairs is imminent. Political, geopolitical, economical realities are changing. And the State of the Union, of the either state of Atlantic is not in a good shape.

On the other hand, the political consensus that guaranteed peace and cooperation in some extent washed away the sharp edges of politics. It also assured prosperity, achieved by working together.

So it is not a surprise that current what you can call progressive ideas come from France. 230 years ago french ignited progressive fires that up till now are hard to extinguish. By calling NATO brain dead, stopping the start of negotiations of Albania and North Macedonia, he basicaly started the revolution to upend the pillars of Wester order, that he himself didn’t help to build.

On one hand, President of France Mr Macron is correct. NATO indeed needs more cooperation. USA, one could say is less reliable now on matters in Middle East.

But on the other hand – ignoring the fact that Russia is an aggressive regional actor, bent on subsiding its neighbours to its own will is… to put it mildly – naive. And the consensus that we had regarding the sanctions and overall attitude towards Russia was very not easily achieved. And to recall it could mean break the bonds of mutual understanding and cooperation within Europe that hold us together.

Too bad, that from what I understand, Mr Macrons job is done. Being political disruptor, he doesn’t appear as one to offer solutions to the problems he pin points. One can say he reminds a millennial investor from Silicon valley, who announces that he’s about to launch a rocket to Mars, only to never appear with that message again. Because his job is not to launch anything. His job was to appear. Once. And I’m sorry if my words sound harsh, but it takes a millennial to know a millennial.

Dear Colleagues,
at the same time when the French revolution was breaking, British member of Parliament Edmund Burke wrote his thoughts on the revolution. To say that he was less than optimistic on the occasion would be an understatement. Breaking the bonds with the political tradition does not build a brighter path to the future. At least not in reality. It does not help connect the past, present and the future. Revolutions leave smoking, bloody rubbles in its wake.

I wish that we had Burke today, and I’m quite sure that he’s opinion to the Macrons proposed new French revolution would be quite the same as 200 years ago.
Too bad that Britain is waging its own revolution against common sense and has therefore silenced the Burkian voice.

In the wake of everything crazy that is taking place there has to appear a sober conservative voice for conserving what was achieved during last half of a century.
Therefore there is no better place than the EPP party to state, that first of all we preserve. We preserve the consensus, the ideology, and the values that brought us together and what kept us together. The EU was built by enlarging it, that was what brought all of us here. So our message has to be that Europe will keep the doors open for those willing to accept the rules and values of the Union.

“The International”, an communist anthem, had these lines
“The earth shall rise on new foundations:
Who have been nought, shall be all!”

The revolution that these lines started ended with half of the world in slavery and misery. I hope that that lesson was enough, when one wants to destroy the old world and on the rubble build the new one.

It is good that some political leaders bring tough political even if revolutionary debates back on the table. It is wired in EPP DNR to save and secure Europe. Therefore our mandate is to make sure that the revolution doesn’t start.
So it’s about the time we do it.

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